Chapter 20 - Marco

I got into the car spitting fire, my hands itching to wrap around Angela’s delicate neck until she promised never to run from me again.

The worst thoughts ran through my mind at that moment. I feared she might have told her father where she was or that she’d meet someone and give up the promising future she had by my side. But worst of all was the uncertainty that consumed me during the drive.

I didn’t even wait for the car to be parked. I jumped out and walked quickly across the parking lot to the side door of the nightclub. The loud music and dark environment were familiar; I didn’t even need a second to deal with everyone around me — people greeting me, others dancing close in a mess of bodies.

I pushed everyone out of my way and went straight to the bar. If anyone could tell me where she was, it was Nick, the same man who had several times revealed Mel’s location.

“Where is she, Nick?” I demanded, banging on the counter as soon as I reached him.

“I imagine you mean Mrs. Rossi’s friend. I just called to say she’s too drunk and will need help getting home…”

“Where is she, damn it?”

“She went to the bathroom a little while ago, sir…” I left without waiting another second; I would only calm down once my eyes were on her.

I marched down the dark corridor to the women’s restroom and opened the door without caring about the women inside. A wave of female screams filled the room — none of them hers.

“Angela!” I shouted, moving and banging on the doors of the stalls that were still closed. “I order you to tell me where you are, Angel!”

But there was no answer. My heart raced, pounding wildly against my chest until it nearly deafened me. She had been taken, they had taken her from me — I kept repeating the thought to myself, when a scream of pain from outside snapped me out of the trance.

I ran out of the restroom, seeing the chaos of women and men at the door, shouting and arguing, when my eyes landed on Nero at the men’s bathroom door, and somehow I knew she was the one inside.

“Stop running, and I promise I won’t hurt you,” I heard as I approached after pushing everyone out of the corridor, my blood boiling with rage at what could be happening in there.

I kicked the door without thinking twice, with enough force to throw it to the ground. But I wasn’t prepared for what I found — a man was near Angela with his pants down and his cock out, while another bastard was in the corner with his hand between his legs.

My little angel was pressed against the bathroom counter, looking at me with wide eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Her frightened gaze hit me even harder, making me see red.

“But I will hurt you!” I growled, entering the damn bathroom and lunging at the bastard closest to her.

“Nothin… nothing happened like you…” he didn’t get the chance to finish before my fist smashed into his mouth.

His head turned to the side, blood spraying, and I landed another punch, then another. The man fell to the ground, and I didn’t care — I kept hitting him. I felt my knuckles protest as bone met bone, but I didn’t stop; feeling him hurt soothed everything.

When the other man dared to move, trying to leave, I turned to him.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’re going to die slowly, bastard!” I pointed my bloodied finger at him. “I’ll take great pleasure in ripping off your filthy cock and watching you swallow it before I actually kill you.”

“Bu…bu… But we didn’t even touch her properly.” He stammered, glancing at Angela, then back at me. “The bitch was dancing with me, she wanted it. Tell him!”

Angela clenched her fists and stiffened, ready to hit him. She wasn’t intimidated by his words or his look.

“You cornered me with your friend when I was going to the bathroom, and when I hit you, he dragged me here!” Angela gritted her teeth, putting rage into every word as disgust spread across her body. “You planned to rape me in the bathroom — that’s the truth!”

“She’s lying, we never said that, you bitch!” he shouted, and I had to restrain myself from killing him for calling her that. “Tell him, tell him you kissed me, rubbed against me while we danced.”

My blood boiled like lava in my veins, making me see red, but before I could take a step, Angela had already lunged at him, slapping his face and scratching him in the process.

When she turned her back, I could see the red mark at the base of her spine, as if she had been struck there, and the bruises beginning to show on her arms because of the scumb.

I strode toward the unlucky man still standing and yanked him down by the collar, smashing his head against the bathroom counter.

“I’ll finish you off later.” I extended my hand to her, which she quickly took, as if expecting me to take her away. “Tell the guards to take these worms somewhere. I’ll stay here for now.”

My brother just nodded, and I ran out, crossed the corridor, and went straight to the private area where the elevator would take me to the office upstairs.

Angela hurried alongside me, trying to keep up with my steps as I practically ran to get inside the elevator with her. When the metal doors opened, I pulled her in quickly, squeezing in with her.

I didn’t say anything as I stared at her, scanning her body for more injuries, more bruises they might have caused.

“Are you mad at me?” she whispered, taking a step closer just as the doors opened to show my office.

I pressed the button, locking the elevator on that floor, and moved away from her as quickly as possible. I went straight to the small wine cellar there and poured myself neat whiskey while trying to process everything that had happened to her while she was gone.

“You’re not going to talk to me anymore?” she insisted, following me like a shadow, but she wasn’t satisfied and grabbed my wrist, stopping me from pouring another drink.

“Do you have any idea what risks you ran coming here alone? Do you know what could have happened to you — not just from those bastards in the bathroom?” I bellowed, wanting her to understand the danger while also trying not to frighten her again. “Your father could have taken you, enemies from other mafias could have noticed you and kidnapped you. There are so many chaotic scenarios that, at the same time, I want to strangle you!” I said, raising my free hand toward her neck, but I didn’t touch her.

“I know that, and I was terrified by everything, but I needed to know what it was like to be an ordinary girl.”

Angela’s fingers slid to my hand and then to my wrist in a delicate touch that made me even more alert to her every movement.

“And how was it, Angel? Did you enjoy being an ordinary girl? Did you like kissing another man and dancing with him?” I asked, lowering the hand holding the whiskey glass, stepping back a pace. “Have you made your decision?”